Set the details
Who you sent it to, and what it was for.
Example
Priya · the homepage proposal
How to follow up on a proposal
You sent the proposal a week ago and heard nothing. Silence usually means busy, not no. A short, useful follow-up gets a reply far more often than a polite “just checking in”.
You’ll recognise it
- You’ve drafted “just checking in” three times
- You’re refreshing your inbox
- You’ve started discounting in your head
Why it happens
Follow-ups work when they give the client something: a reason to decide now, a helpful thought, or an easy way out. Three messages, spaced out, each shorter than the last.
The approach
3 steps, in order
Each step gives the next one something to work with. The worksheet below follows the same order.
Find one useful thing
A thought, link or idea that helps them, whether they hire you or not.
Useful
Your top competitor just launched a “nervous patients” page
Give a reason to decide
A real date: when you can start, or when your diary fills.
Reason
I can start on 1 December if we confirm by Friday
Worksheet
Build yours as you read
Fill in each step. Your three follow-ups updates as you type. It stays in this browser until you choose to keep it.
More Proposals guides
Next problem?
I never know what to put in a proposalWhat to put in a copywriting proposalThe seven sections that get a yesI don’t know what to chargeHow to price a copywriting projectFrom day rate to a fee you can defendThe job keeps growingHow to write a scope that stops scope creepDefine a round, and say what happens after
Questions
Good to know
Isn’t the third email rude?
It’s the one that gets the most replies. Giving someone an easy way out makes it easier for them to say yes.
Should I offer a discount?
Not in a follow-up. It tells the client your first price wasn’t real.
Do I need an account?
No. Your worksheet stays in this browser. Leave your email and we’ll send it as a PDF.
Who writes these guides?
ProCopywriters, the UK’s professional body for copywriters, with members who do this work every week.
Proposals, from Studio
Guides get you started. Proposals does the whole job.
Branded proposals with your services, prices and terms, sent as a link the client accepts online. Coming soon to Studio.